Professor Rudolf Wendt turns 80: A life for the law in St. Ingbert

Professor Rudolf Wendt turns 80: A life for the law in St. Ingbert

Professor Dr. Rudolf Wendt will celebrate his 80th birthday in St. Ingbert on August 18, 2025. Born on August 18, 1945 in Wunstorf, Wendt has had an impressive career in the field of legal knowledge and higher education. After graduating from the municipal modern language high school in Erkelenz, he began studying law in 1965 at the universities of Munich and Cologne, supported by the Cusanuswerk.

Successfully completing his studies in 1970, he passed the first state law examination at the Judicial Examination Office in Cologne. Wendt worked as a research assistant at the Institute for Constitutional Law at the University of Cologne, where he worked under the guidance of Professor Dr. Karl Heinrich Friauf conducted research. He received his doctorate in 1974 with his dissertation “The fee as a means of steering”.

Academic career

After receiving his doctorate, Wendt completed his traineeship in 1975 and passed the second state law examination in Düsseldorf. From 1975 he was again a research assistant in Cologne. His habilitation on February 17, 1983 was honored with the topic “Property and Legislation”. At the same time he took on teaching positions at universities in Cologne and Trier.

On August 17, 1983, Wendt was appointed professor of public law at the University of Trier. Five years later, on November 1, 1988, he took over the chair for constitutional and administrative law as well as economic, financial and tax law at Saarland University. There he established a focus on tax law and in 2004 became deputy director of studies at the Saarland Administrative and Economic Academy.

Public services and engagement

Wendt has been an advisor to the state government on relevant legal issues since 1999, including financial constitution, national debt and budget law. He also represented Saarland in constitutional disputes before the Federal Constitutional Court, particularly regarding state financial equalization. His work in academic self-administration includes service as chairman of the law department and as dean of the faculty of law and economics.

After retiring in 2013, Wendt continued to be active. He has been a member of the Saarland Constitutional Court since December 11, 1995, where he has been Vice President since February 20, 2008. His research interests focus on financial constitutional and tax law as well as on questions of freedom of expression and property rights and equality rights.

Influence and publications

Wendt's scientific oeuvre includes both monographs and numerous essays, commentaries and reports. His most important publications include “Ownership of the company” (1977, with Karl Heinrich Friauf), “Legal questions of district levy” (1980, with Karl Heinrich Friauf) and “Sales tax distribution between the federal and state governments” (2002).

Legal education in Germany, which Wendt influenced through his teaching and research, is an important topic for future discussion. It includes demanding requirements and a high failure rate for the exams, which in 2022 was 26.2% for the first exam and 12.3% for the second exam. The need for reform in training is being actively discussed in professional circles, particularly with regard to exam preparation and the role of revision courses.

Overall, Professor Wendt's career represents an impressive example of academic commitment and expertise in the field of law. His upcoming 80th birthday provides an opportunity to honor his life's work and his influence on legal education in Germany.

For further information about Professor Wendt and the connection to his training and academic work, see uni-saarland.de, Wikipedia and Legal training in Germany.